The Oscar nominations were announced on Thursday morning and it was no surprise that David O. Russell was among the Best Director nominees.

The “American Hustle” director, also nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category, is considered a favorite to take home the trophy on March 2. He also led his cast—Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence—to nominations in all four acting categories.

Russell, it turns out, has ties to Westchester. The director, 55, was raised in Larchmont. He attended Mamaroneck High School.

“When I was growing up, I loved my life,” he told The UK’s Globe and Mail in a recent interview. “But then you have to become a high-school student, and then you have to figure out who that’s going to be… ‘I don’t understand! I was a kid 10 minutes ago playing stickball, and now I don’t know who the **** I’m supposed to be.’”

Russell figured it out by 1994, when he made his directorial debut with the indie film “Spanking the Monkey.” His body of work now includes “The Fighter” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” which earned him Best Director Oscar nominations in 2011 and 2013 respectively.

Are you rooting for David O. Russell to win the Academy Award? Did you see his crime comedy-drama “American Hustle” yet? Tell us in the comments!